The Butler County seasonally adjusted jobless rate for December was the lowest in the Pittsburgh region at 3.4%, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry. Butler Eagle graphic. Butler Eagle Graphic

Butler County’s seasonally adjusted jobless rate for December was once again the lowest in the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area at 3.4%, up from 3.3% in November 2024, according to the most recent data from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry.

In addition, the Pittsburgh region’s seasonally adjusted jobless rate rose one-tenth of a percent from November to December, rounding out at 3.6%.

The statewide rate also rose one-tenth of a percent to 3.6% during that same time, while the national rate fell one-tenth of a percent to 4.1%.

Armstrong, Allegheny, Beaver, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland are the other counties that are classified as part of the Pittsburgh region.

Allegheny County recorded the second lowest rate in the region at 3.7%, followed by Washington and Westmoreland Counties, both at 3.9%.

Beaver County had a rate of 4.2%, then Armstrong County at 4.5%, followed by Fayette County at 5.1%, the highest in the Pittsburgh region.

In counties surrounding Butler not classified as part of the Pittsburgh region, Mercer and Venango Counties came in with a jobless rate of 4.2%, followed by Clarion County at 4.4% and Lawrence County at 4.8%.

The State College and Gettysburg regions had the lowest rates in the state at 2.8%, followed by the Lancaster region at 2.9%.

The region with the highest rate in the state was East Stroudsburg at 4.2%, followed by the Scranton region at 4.1%.

Seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs in the Pittsburgh region rose 3,300 over the month to 1,189,000 in December.

Jobs decreased from November to December in five of the 11 “supersectors” in the Pittsburgh area — the broadest groups of industries, while rising in three others.

The largest gain was seen in trade, transportation and utilities, which gained 3,100 jobs.

Professional and business services saw the largest decline, with a loss of 2,700 jobs, followed by construction which lost 1,800 jobs, followed by education and health services which lost about 1,000 jobs.

Over the past year, the largest supersector gain was seen in education and health services, which added 9,000 jobs, followed by leisure and hospitality, which added about 6,300 jobs.